Former President’s parliamentary seat in peril

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is expected to discuss the fate of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s party membership and parliamentary seat, following his decision to accept the leadership of the Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna at its convention last Sunday.

At a press conference last week UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera acknowledged that his SLFP membership gets cancelled with the latest development. The former President was elected to Parliament in August 2015 under the UPFA ticket.

The SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera told the Sunday Observer that this matter would be discussed at a future date but no final decision had been made yet.

He said a date for the SLPP and SLFP weekly talks on a future work-plan has not been fixed so far. The last meeting between the representatives of the two parties was held on August 12.

JVP MP Sunil Hadunnetti points out, that as the SLPP is not a party represented in Parliament it is questionable whether Rajapaksa could continue as the Leader of Opposition.